Led Zeppelin: Rock Radio will play a variety of classic rock tracks from the last 40 years. Photograph: PA

Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith and Pink Floyd fans in Scotland should grab their air guitars and get ready to rock with the launch of the country's first classic rock radio station.

Guardian Media Group Radio is relaunching its Q96 FM station as 96.3 Rock Radio, broadcasting across central Scotland and Renfrewshire.

The move to launch a new brand comes the week after it emerged that GMG Radio has asked Ofcom for permission to change the format of its London station Smooth from a jazz, blues and R'n'B station into an easy-listening station for the over-50s.

Ofcom believes that change will substantially alter the character of the service and has launched a public consultation on the matter.

Meanwhile, also last week, GMG Radio bought GCap Media's two Century commercial regional radio stations, in Manchester and Gateshead, in a £60m deal.

Rock Radio will launch in Scotland in January 2007 playing a variety of classic rock tracks from the last 40 years, and although it is aimed at a wide audience there will be a slight bias towards 35- to 64-year-old men.

The rebrand - complete with marketing campaign - comes after GMG Radio's acquisition of the Paisley-based station earlier this year from TalkSport's owner, UTV.

In September, GMG Radio's Real Radio Scotland was given permission by Ofcom to co-house Q96 within its existing building in Glasgow while agreeing to honour the station's local format.

The Real Radio managing director, Billy Anderson, said: "By providing a new station focusing on an extremely successful genre of music, 96.3 Rock Radio will provide an alternative listen whilst encompassing the key local news and information services."

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